Page 15 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

MONTANA HENDRIX’S PERFECTLY good , a four-year-old boy and a Lab and golden retriever mix named Fluffy

Things had started out well enough Montana had been deter training program Sure, Fluffy was exuberant and clu too happy, but she had a huge heart If she was, in siainst her Montana knehat it was like to fail to h She’dto suffer the way she had And even if she was projecting a little too , well, sometimes that happened

So there she was, on a beautiful Fool’s Gold su walked by Fluffy

“Think cal “Therapy dogs are cals understand restraint”

Fluffy gave her a doggie grin, then nearly knocked over a trash can with a sweep of her ever- tail Restraint wasn’t in Fluffy’s vocabulary She was barely calm in her sleep

Later Montana would tell herself she should have seen it co was the first weekend after school had let out and there was a festival to celebrate Street vendors had been setting up for days Although it was early, the ss and barbecue filled the air The sidewalks were crowded and Fluffy kept pulling toward the children playing in the park Her expression was clear—she wanted to be playing, too

Up ahead, a erly, but before he took a bite, he spotted Fluffy The boy grinned at Fluffy and held out the food At that exact an’s Bookstore and accidentally loosened her grip Fluffy lunged, the leash slipped and that hen the trouble started

Offering a hot dog froood idea…until a ninety-pound dog ca toward the little boy He shrieked, dropped the hot dog and ran behind hisof the encounter All she saas a crazy-looking dog headed right for her and her son She screamed

Montana started after Fluffy, yelling for her to stop But it was as effective as telling the earth to slon its rotation

The mother scooped up her little boy and ducked behind a le stride and sed it in one gulp, then kept on going Apparently freedom called

Montana hurried after her, the new su into her feet She knew she had to get Fluffy The dog eet, but not very well trained Montana’s boss, Max Thur material If word of today’s disaster reached hiram Montana couldn’t stand for that to happen

Fluffy was a lot faster than she was and quickly ran out of sight Montana followed the sound of shrieks and screa a peanut cart and narrowly uys on bikes She turned a corner just in tih the auto

“No,” Montana breathed, staring up at the hospital “Not there Anywhere but there”

She raced forward, inwardly cringing at the thought of what Fluffy could do in a place like that Big puppy feet on slippery floors were not a happy co to the entrance and dashed inside only to find a trail of havocthe way

A supply cart was pushed against the wall Linens spilled onto the floor A little girl in a wheelchair grinned and pointed down the hall

Montana got to the bank of elevators only to find several people willing to tell her that yes, a dog had gotten on She watched the light panel to see an elevator had stopped on the fourth floor, then jumped in the next one and rode up

The doors opened to the sound of screams A chair lay on its side More linens were scattered on the floor, along with a couple of charts Up ahead double doors ns explained what could and couldn’t enter that part of the hospital A joyous bark told her Fluffy had violated every single posted rule

Not knohat else to do, Montana followed the sound and pushed through the doors Up ahead several nurses were trying to corral the happy dog while Fluffy did her best to lick all of the turned and raced toward her Just as a doctor walked out of a nearby room

Fluffy did her best to stop Montana saw her puppy paws scraet traction on the floor She started to slide, her butt went down, her front paws braced and then she was zipping along in a sitting position She plowed directly into the doctor, sending hi into Montana

The doctor was about six inches taller and a whole lot heavier than Montana His shoulder hit her chest, knocking the air out of her They sailed across the floor, flying a few feet before stopping against the very hard floor, his body sla into hers

Montana lay there, dazed She couldn’t breathe All she felt was dead weight on top of her and a war her bare ankle

The ot off her and knelt beside her

“Are you hurt?” he demanded

She shook her head, then asp in air Fluffycal to fall for

The ered hands up and down her legs and arms, then felt the back of her head His touch was impersonal, but it was the ure out if she liked it, she looked at his face

He was the reen s jaw His cheekbone—

“She’s fine,” he said, turning to speak with someone behind him

When he shifted his head she saw the other side of his face Thick red scars grew fro the side of his neck to his left jaw and cheek They spiraled, creating an angry pattern that looked painful and pulled his skin

She had a feeling her shock showed, but he didn’t seerabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet

“Dizzy?” he asked curtly

“No,” she ain

“Good” Hewith you? What kind of irresponsible idiot allows soed with atte has? That you have? This is a burn unit These patients are vulnerable to infection They are suffering with a level of pain you can’t begin to iine”

She took a step back “I’an

“Do you think anyone here gives a dahtlessness is criminal”

She could feel his rage in every word Evenit Not with a loud voice and a lot of energy, but with a coldness that left her feeling small and stupid

“I didn’t—”

“Think,” he interrupted “Yes, that et out”

Eripped her She are of the other staff

Montana knew that Fluffy’s running through the hospital was a bad thing But it wasn’t as if she’d planned the event